Data Archiving

Data archives store and preserve data, and also typically provide a means of sharing the data with other scholars. If you are looking for a suitable repository to store and/or share your data, or are looking for an existing dataset to validate research findings or mine for a new research inquiry, here are some key resources to explore:

re3data.org is a registry of research data repositories - a great starting point if you want to see what repositories exist in your area of research

Harvard Dataverse is a repository open to all researchers worldwide to publish research data across all disciplines, developed by Harvard

FigShare allows users to upload any file format so that figures, datasets, media, papers, posters, presentations and filesets can be disseminated

You can also archive your data in the USF Scholarship Repository. Please contact Jessica Lu, Digital Collections Librarian, if you would like to add your data set to the USF Repository.

Metadata

Metadata is the backbone of data management. To enable the discovery, access and use of a dataset, the dataset needs to be labelled and organized in a standardized way. Metadata standards serve this purpose, by providing a structured set of elements which describe the dataset.